Overview of Updates to the Green-e Energy National Standard

Green-e just released the latest version of the Green-e Energy National Standard, version 3.1. This is the second major update to the Standard since since December 2016. Join Green-e Energy staff in a free webinar to review these recent updates, which revise guidance in several key areas, including:

Eligibility from shared renewables
Extended-use criteria for on-site and direct-line generation
Minimum purchase quantity for capacity-based products
Eligible generation facilities in U.S. territories
Required use of tracking systems
…and more
This webinar is relevant to anyone participating in Green-e Energy, including generators, sellers, electricity service providers, brokers, and large purchasers. There will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end of the presentation.

Transcript

1. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Overview of 2017 Updates to the Green-e Energy National Standard (v2.8 à v3.1) Presented: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions
2. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions A nonprofit creating policy and market solutions to advance renewable energy since 1997 AREAS OF FOCUS: - Policy and expert assistance work - Education and support for renewable energy markets - Certification services
3. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Consumer protection and certification for voluntary renewable energy purchases
4. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions WEBINAR AGENDA 1. About CRS and Green-e 2. The Voluntary RE Market and Green-e 3. The Green-e Standard 4. Certified Product Options 5. Version 3.0 & 3.1 Updates 6. International Standards: Singapore 7. Q&A
5. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Published on January 1, 2017 • New Definitions or Language Clarifications: – Clarification of eligible “U.S.” geographical sources – Clarification of food crops and animal feed as ineligible biomass/biofuel – Clarification that biogas of any vintage from a shared pipeline is eligible if attributes retained – Extension of acceptable notification period for Long-Term contracted parties to new generation – Extended Use Criteria for On-Site and Direct-Line Generation
6. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Published on January 1, 2017 • New Definitions or Language Clarifications: – Reduction in the minimum percent monthly usage requirement for capacity based residential products – Limited product mix source variation allowance as required for residential products under multiple varying RPSs – Requiring Tracking System Use – Clarification of Standard’s intent regarding acceptable definition of geographic eligibility of products – Clarifying for Hub-and-Spoke utilities resource mix rules
7. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section I and III.G: Clarification of eligible “U.S.” geographical sources • Matching the Standard’s definition of the United States to that of the Federal government: “The fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and associated territorial waters and airspace.”
8. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section II.A.5: Clarification of food crops and animal feed as ineligible biomass/biofuel • New footnote 3 and 11, and edits to section II.A.5.b - II.A.5.d stating: “Food crops or animal feed are explicitly excluded” and “Organic waste can include waste and residues of biological origin…(including vegetal and animal substances)…” (Footnote 11)
9. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section II.A.5: Clarification that biogas of any vintage from a shared pipeline is eligible if attributes retained • New footnote 4 and 5, stating that eligible biogas: “…can…[demonstrate] that all environmental attributes are appropriately transferred along the chain of custody.” and “…may be produced at any time prior to electricity generation” if the certified power meets vintage requirements [Section III.B].
10. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section II.H.3 and II.H.4: Extension of acceptable notification period for Long-Term contracted parties to new generation • Execution of potentially eligible contracts now required within 12 month window of Commercial On-Line Date (COD), but longer period allowed for communication of potentially eligible off-takers to Green-e. • https://www.green-e.org/programs/energy/documents
11. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section II.I: Extended Use Criteria for On-Site and Direct-Line Generation • Clarification of the continued eligibility of generation from on-site and direct-line connected resources as eligible both under 15-year New Date rules and under Long-term Contract rules. • Limited to facilities online as of 1/1/2003
12. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section III.A.3: Reduction in the minimum percent monthly usage requirement for capacity based residential products • Reduction in the minimum monthly average use baseline from 25% of total yearly use to 10% of total yearly use “Capacity-Based Products: Electricity or REC products sold as kW of capacity or shares of a facility must deliver a minimum of 100 kWh a month averaged over a calendar year, or they may instead deliver a minimum of 10% of the customer’s monthly electricity use averaged over a calendar year.”
13. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section III.D: Limited product mix source variation allowance as required for residential products under multiple varying RPSs • Clarified a change allowing Participants who sell to residential customers across states with varying RPS obligations that those variations are allowed. “…variability of geographic location of generation (not renewable resource type) is allowed to the extent required by a Participant's RPS obligations under the laws of said state(s).”
14. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section III.H: Requiring Tracking System Use • As of July 1, 2018, all eligible supply must be tracked in an approved tracking system Some exceptions are made for smaller generators, on-site or direct-line connected generation, retirements on behalf of Participants by others, and self auditing. Those exceptions are: “a. The entire facility has an aggregated nameplate capacity less than or equal to 10 MW, or b. The facility is located on property owned by the retail electricity user claiming the RECs/renewable energy or has a “direct-line connection,” that user is claiming all RECs generated by the facility during the period of certification, and that all generation is validated by attestations and 3rd party verification records, or c. The Participant’s total certified sales volume is less than or equal to 10,000 MWh for that reporting year. In this case, another tracking system accountholder must retire supply on behalf of the Participant’s certified sales (in addition to all other required verification procedures), or d. The facility (or Participants) using output from the facility in Green-e Energy certified transactions provides to Green-e Energy an independent 3rd party verification of the facility, including, but not limited to, its total output and sales agreements, to verify no double selling has occurred, in accordance with Green-e Energy verification procedures.”
15. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section III.D: Clarification of Standard’s intent regarding acceptable definition of geographic eligibility of products • Although no change was introduced in Participant’s method of determining their product’s geographic boundaries, clarification of language may aid understanding: “The single state where all of the product’s customers are located; and/or an adjacent state where the electricity, bundled with a REC, is wheeled…” or “The NERC, ISO, RTO or Balancing Authority Area, [and/]or adjacent NERC, ISO, RTO [and/]or Balancing Authority Area where the electricity, bundled with a REC, is wheeled…”
16. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions National Standard v3.0 Section V.E: Clarifying for Hub-and-Spoke utilities resource mix rules • Clarification of “exact” mix, allows for Hub-and-Spoke utilities to vary the source of the supply to meet the regional priorities of various participating spokes “a) Contain the same proportional mix of resources for each participating spoke. Each participating spoke may vary the generation location within a resource type but all participating spokes must offer the same overall mix of resource types.”
17. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Canada and U.S. Standard v3.1 Published on June 9, 2017 • New Sections: – Section IV.C: Programs Contracting Supply from Portions of Specific Facilities to Individual Customers – Appendix A.8: Washington State Supply Eligibility Rules (affected by the 2017 Clean Air Rule)
18. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Canada and U.S. Standard v3.1 Section IV.C: Programs Contracting Supply from Portions of Specific Facilities to Individual Customers • In order for community renewables programs to be eligible for certification… A. The product must be structured such that each customer signs up to purchase renewable energy entirely from one specific generating unit; B. Any one customer cannot enroll for 100% of a facility’s output; C. The product purchased by each customer must contain the same resource type. Each customer’s purchase may vary as to the source facility within a resource type, but all customers must receive the same overall resource type • Participants may request that the Board consider allowing these facilities to remain eligible beyond the 15- year “New Date” for up to 30 years.
19. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Canada and U.S. Standard v3.1 Appendix A.8: Washington State Supply Eligibility Rules (affected by the 2017 Clean Air Rule) • Use of Emissions Reduction Units (ERUs) to comply with CAR creates double counting issues for supply with a post-2016 COD – In order to remain eligible for certification, affected supply must be paired with the equivalent amounts of either… A. Eligible emissions allowances, or B. “Green-e compliant ERUs” which were generated as a result of emissions reductions beyond the emissions reduction pathway at a covered party • Pre-2017 COD supply was accounted for in the “emissions baseline” and is not subject to additional Green-e requirements
20. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions International Standards: Singapore • Green-e Renewable Energy Code–Singapore – 2nd comment period closes August 29 – Green-e Governance Board votes in October 2017 – Final Code to publish before the end of 2017
21. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Next Webinar Utilities across the electricity sector are engaging in innovative clean energy purchasing models in order to meet increasing customer demand. What are some examples of these innovative models and how do they work? register at www.resource-solutions.org/events
22. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions register today at www.renewableenergymarkets.com
23. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Questions
24. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Helpful Resources • Green-e Energy National Standard https://www.green-e.org/docs/energy/Green- eEnergyNationalStandard.pdf • Green-e Energy Code of Conduct https://www.green-e.org/docs/energy/Green- e%20Energy%20Code%20of%20Conduct.pdf
25. © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions © 2017 Center for Resource Solutions Thanks for joining us! A recording of this Webinar is archived at resource-solutions.org/events Interested in certification? Contact: Sarah Busch, sarah.busch@resource-solutions.org, 415-561-2118 Questions about the Canada and U.S. Standard? Contact: Noah Bucon, noah.bucon@resource-solutions.org, 415-561-2110